Improvement in electro-magnettc engines



O. G. PAGE.

7 ELECTROMAGNETIC ENGINE.

No. 10,480. Patented Jan, 31, 1854.

MI I

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. G. PAGE.

ELECTROMAGNETIC ENGINE.

No. 10.480. Patented n. 31, 1354.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

CHAIULES G. PAGE, M. D., OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF GOLUMBI'A IMPROVEMENT l N ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES Gammon PAGE,-0f Washington, inthe county of Washington andDistrict of Columbia, haveinvented certain Improvements in the Application of Electricity as aMotive Power; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes them from allv other things before known, and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same. 4

My invention consists in a peculiar mode of applying the galvanic current for the purpose of obtaining a motive power, to be described as follows:

The species of electr -motion which I employ is thatwhich is exhibited in the wellknown apparatus of De La Rives ring used for philosophical illustrations, in which, by the agency of electricity, a coil of wire is drawn over a magnetic bar from one end to its center, or vice versa, the bar is drawn-within the coil when it is conveying ail-electric current. This species of motion 1 have termed the axial motion, and having discovered that .it pos sesses considerable and peculiar advantages .in its practical application, I have called the engines constructed upon this principle of action .axi 1 engines, by way of :Idistinction from'electro-magnetic engines. With a given electric current, conducting-coil, and magnetic or axial bar it is true that the axial force is much less than that force exhibited between the polesof this axial bar and a piece of soft iron when the two are in very close proximity or in contact. In the axial action it is a-force exerted betweena coil of copper wire conveying an electric current and a magnet, and in the electromagnetic action it is the force exerted between two magnets. Every attempt hitherto to enlarge'electro-magnetic engines with a view to increase proportionally their power has been. attended with considerable loss of power; and having investigated and discovered the true causes of such loss, I have-invented the remedy to a great extent in in the construction of helices for electro-mag the peculiar application of the axial force to engines under several modifications of form, and have found in practice that although the actual force exerted upon the axial bar is'appatently and comparatively small, yet the I available mechanical force realizedin this way is greater from the same electric current than when electro-magnets are employed in the known ways. The very short distance through which magnets act with power, and the. rapid diminution of power as the magnets recede from each other present serious practical difli'- culties in electromagnetic engines. whether in the reciprocating or rotary form. In the axial engine we'can exhibit the magnetic power acting almost with uniformity through a considerable distance, and also acting with considerable power through a great distance, some portion of the magnetic b'ar being always in close proximity to the helix. The axial forces are peculiarly well adapted to reciprocating formsof enginesand. thnsarl mil-hm the entire concentration of electric power upon one or two magnets.- In electromagnetic engines it has been found that the retention of magnetism by the electro-m'agnets operates, greatly as a retarding force. In the axial engines the retalned magnetism of the iron bar is so much saved, provided the retention be not indicative I of a bad quality of iron or one that would resist the development of magnetism. In the axial engine the actionis between copper and iron, the former not susceptible of magnetism, and therefore exerting no force upon themagnet after the current is withdrawn; I but I have j'ound it advantageous sometimes to em ploy the co-operatiori' of the electro-magn'et in the axial engines in various ways where the 'axial'bar moves in only one helix-that is,

where the bar does not pass throu h one hel-ix to be operated by another in succession.

The pole or poles of the vbar invthis case are not allowed to come into very close proximity .with the electric-magnet, and as what retarding force is felt in this case is at the end of the stroke, where the'motion is slow, and it is con venient to 'cut oil the electric current for a considerable interval, the loss is small in comparison with the loss from retention of mag: netism in electromagnetic engines proper.

I have also made an important improvement netic purposes by theemplo'yment of v square instead of round wire. Whena helix is made of round wire wound from end to end of the helix back and forth upon itself, there is a great dealof vacant space between the individual turns of wire and between the successive layers. This space is so much lossin the economy of the electric power, and this I remedy by the use of the square wire. The helix of square wire is shown in section in Fig. 10. Other rectangular forms of who may be employed with similar advantage in this 1: pect; but the square is not only the most perfect form for this purpose, but is the form which presents the least sprface to be insulated, which is an important point, Another ad. vantage of the square wire is i s-facility of insulation. Round wire must be wrapped entirely withinsulating material, and this operation, whether done by hand or machinery, is expensive, whereas the square wire need only be covered upon one of its sides with paper, cloth, or other insulating material, which may be fastened, to it with glue. I have usually preferred for this purpose strips of cheap cotton fabric. After the first layer of the helix is completed then a strip of cloth is wound spirally around it, which makes the insulatingcoat between this and the next layer.

I am aware that flat strips or ribbons of copper were used in the construction of spirals for electromagneticv purposes prior to my invention of the square-wire helix. There is,

' however,- a characteristicas well use practical ditferenfie between the spiral and the helix. The spiral is made by winding the ribbon or wire upon itself, after the manner of a roll of tape or ribbon, while'tlie helix is like a continuous screw-thread. The spiral is acontinuous winding at right angles to theaxis of the mandrel upon which it is wound, while the helix is a continuous winding in a direction obliq no to such axis. I am not'aware that helices were ever made prior tomy invention of square or anyrectangularsbap'e of wire wound back and forth upon itself.

It is possible to imitate the helix to some extent by joininga number of spirals but practically it is awkward and disadvantageous. In the construction of a helix of rectangular wires the further we depart from the square form the greater the difliculty of construction and the greater the loss of power,- not only from increased obliquity of the wire to the axis of the helix and theinclosed magnet, but from the fact that its surface increases as we depart from the square form, and therefore requires more. room for insulating material.

Fig. 4 represents the square wire.

Fig. 1 exhibitsthe most simple form for the axial engine. shown with a connecting-rod attached to it B B, the helices, and O the ele'ctro-magnet. The axial bar may be guided in its motions in any of the usual ways of guiding reciprocating rods or pistons. The electro-magnet 0 is fixed, and so that its poles shall not'come very near those of the axial bars. [It may be made adjustable, if necessary.

- A is the axial bar, or bars,

'Fig. 2 exhibitsanother mode of employing the ele'ctro-magnet in connection with the axial bar. A is the axial bar; B B, the helices,and O the electro-magnet. This magnet consists of two hollow cylinders of wrought-iron, c c, united by a wrought-iron strap, d. These cylinders envelop the helices for about one-half to two-thirds their length. Fig. 3 exhibits another form for the axial engine. A A are the axial bars; B B, the helices; and 0 is the electro-magnet or armature, which, in this case, is a soft-iron roller mounted uponsuitable bearings D D. This roller-magnet serves also the purpose of a friction-roller and support for the frame of axial bars, which, in this case, are united by bars or rods of brass E E or of other non-magnetic material.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are difi'erent views of an en tire working-engine, in which the arrangement of the axial bars is still different from the preceding. A A are the axial bars; B B, thehelices; and (l O the electro-magnets or arma tures. In,these figures and Fig. 3 the soft-iron barsOCarerepresented asarmaturesorinduced magnets but they may beused as such or as electro-magnets at pleasure. When used as electro-magnets they are to be enveloped with helices, which are to be connected with the main battery or a separate battery for this special purpose. When used as electro-magnets their power'rnust be interrupted by means o'f'a cut-ofl', and at the same time or before the electric current is cut ofi rom the helices. With the elements above it will be competent for a skillful mechanic to construct an engine, especially one who is acquainted with the various modes of mounting, constructing, and

working steam and other reciprocating engines.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 F is the base-board G, the pillars supportingthe armatures; H H, the pillars sustaining the guide-rods, which play back and forth through ways or 'holes in the top of,the pillars. These rods are fixed firmly to the cross-head G, to which are attached the axial bars A A. The connecting-rod I from the crank of the fly-wheel takes hold of the stud K on the cross-head. The helices are mounted on suitable supports, and the two helices of each pair are connected by the wires L. These'pairs of helices are each connected by wires with the conducting-springs 2 3 fiearin g each alternately against the cut-0E upon the fly-wheel shaft) by means of wires passing down, through, under, and again up through the base-board, as shown by the dotted lines. The helices are also connected with the binding screw-cup N, as shown by dotted lines, and the dotted lines also show the connection of the binding screw-cup O with the conducting-spring 1 of the cut-off. The cut-ofi embraces the segmental portion M of the shaft and springs 2 3 acting with it. (See Fig. 9.) The cut-0ft is shown upon a larger and 'more' perfect scale in 'Fig. 8, though identical in principle and action with that shown in Fig. 6. It consists of two semi-cylindrical metallic segand the current conducted upon the shaft Let us suppose that spring through pillar 4r. 1 is connected through screw-cup!) with the positive pole of a galvanic battery. The current will pass through the metallic connections to spring 2. This spri'ng2 is connected, as before shown, with one termination of the helices B, their other termination being connected with the binding screw-cup N, which is connected with the negative pole of the battery.

The helices B are, therefore, in action, and the cut-off being supposed to revolve in the direction of the arrow, they appear to have nearly completed the stroke of the engine or the motion of the axial bars, which are seen with their poles passed entirely through the helices and within the influence of the armatures or electro-magnets G O. The instant or before the dead-point is reached the helices B must be charged to propel the frame of axial bars in the opposite direction. This is efi'ected by the revolution of the cut-oif in the direction of the zarrow, the segment 6 being brought into contact with spring 3, as will be seen by tracing thewire-connections in dotted lines. The segment 6 has no other office than to preserve the cylindrical form of the cut-ofi'. The pressure of the springs may be regulated by various means,-and,- for instance, the set-screwsQD 9 are showngas one of the most simple.

taining power. I have tried steel of the best quality in comparison with soft iron and found it inferior in dynamic or mechanical'value,-al-

' though the purerkinds of steel may sometimes be used. In addition to the axial engine for motive power, I con-template using this mode of applying the galvanic current under other forrns'for several purposes to'which it seems to be peculiarly adaptedfto stamping, crushing, pressing, compressing, printing, beating gold-leaf, pile-driving, pumping, punching, and trip-hammers, to all of which and similar operationsit is appropriate and applicable in the manner ,of direct-action engines-that is, the power may be applied to these various operations directly without the interposition of a' crank and fly-wheel,-althongh in some of these operations the fly-wheel may be of advantage.

The simplicity and great facility of application to a variety of mechanical operations are distinguishingieatures of the axial action.

the motion of the axial bar or bars under a genv eral arrangementin principle, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The employment of co-operating electromagnets or armatures, in combination with axial bars, helices, and cut-ofl, or its equivalent, substantially'as herein set forth.

3. The employment of square wires in the construction of helices for electromagnetic purposes, substantially as set forth.

' CHAS. G. PAGE. Witnesses WM. GREENOUGH,

ToLMrE CAMPBELL. 

